Customer Reviews

Altec Lansing SoundBar Speakers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am no audiophile. I just needed/wanted decent sound for a new computer I bought that did not come with speakers (I wasn't interested in buying the optional computer speakers because I wanted decent sound since I planned on using my 22" monitor to watch movies across the room). SO, I read A Lot of reviews on Many different speakers and chose the Altec Lansing SoundBar Speakers. They never received Rave reviews nor did many have horrible things to report. That was interesting (often items get "polar reviews"). I braved the $40 bargain and hoped I hadn't wasted what I thought was half of what I should pay for a decent computer speaker. I AM VERY happy with my new speakers let me tell you why:

PROS:
1- Volume is loud enough to hear movies 10-12' across room
2- Sound is rich enough to listen to music files 10-12' away!
3- Handy volume dial AND mute function at fingertips!
4- Optional headphone jack on side of unit!
5- You probably won't wake the neighbor with this speaker!

CONS:
1 - A power cord and speaker cable exit the back (it cannot run on batteries). This is not a "portable" speaker if that is what you need.
2- It sits a little too high for my new monitor. I don't know why it was designed to sit 1" off the desk (it would be perfect height for me if it didn't, so I put my computer on a platform and put the mouse there when not in use).
3- A little "bulky" looking - do not buy it for its looks!
4- You probably won't wake the neighbor.

After a week of testing, I can honestly report that this speaker has surprised me! The Altec Lansing SoundBar Speaker has impressed me with it's rich sound, volume capability, convenience features and saved me from paying what I thought I Had to for decent sound!!!

Fits like a glove under my SyncMaster 204BW. Probably won't fit under monitors that can't be height adjusted. Sound is full, clear and can surprisingly fill a large room. It's out of the way, uses up otherwise useless space and hides its own cord as well as the monitor's. The volume dial is large and it's easy to locate in a hurry - and pushing it to mute couldn't be easier. On the right side is standard headphone jack. Highly, highly recommended.

I am extremely pleased with my Altec Lansing SoundBar - the sound is exceptionally good for its size - it is a full and rich sound, nothing whiny about it, no tin-can effect; it's not audiophile quality, but for that I have my separate stereo set up in the living room (curiously enough it is also a sound bar - this one albeit a Yamaha YSP-1000.)

It's very basic, but then again for the price is just perfect (I paid less with one of Amazon's coupons!) - it has the standard head-phone jack and an aux jack to hook up anything extra (like a mp3 player.) I mainly use it to listen to Internet radio (I-Tunes, Live 365, etc) - people that want to do a bit more rumble (i.e. kids playing games) will probably want a more complicated set up.

It fits pretty neatly under any standard flat screen monitor, and blends in with its modern lines and black and gray color.

If you're looking for a simple solution and do not want a "spider-web" of cables - something that sounds very good and looks neat - this is the solution for you.

I highly recommend it.

This is a great speaker. First of all, it's the greatest soundbar in its category, because of an innovative design and clean sound. It also safes a lot of space in your desk and it avoids you a messy work area since it only uses two cables for power and audio. The installation is very easy, but in case you need them, it comes with precise instructions very easy to go thru. Mine took me more time to unpack the speaker than to put it to work :o) The sound is good and clear, not excellent as my Altec Lansing VS2221, but is a lot greater than many dual-speaker systems. It includes an Aux port located at the right side, very useful if you have an MP3 player. The mute function with the press of the front dial couldn't be better. I gave it 4 stars because I would like the Aux port to be located at the front of the speaker, making it more accesible and also because I would prefer the volume/mute dial to feel more robust and accurate. If you are looking for a non-conventional/decorative speaker design, with respectable sound to listen to your music while you are at work or home, without having a bunch of cables running at the top of your desk, then this is the speaker for you.

The soundbar does not have enough power but delivers enough power to produce rich vibrant sound through out the room. If you do not have 3-4 inches underneath your monitor then this will not fit, but if you have enough space like i do then the speaker will look fine in front of the monitor not only does this product have aesthetic appeal but the blue light when you turn the speaker on is not annoying when turned on. If you turn the volume on max there will be some distortion since I did hear some crackle when I did put it on max.
However, if you don't do major gaming and hate to turn the audio all the way up then this is the perfect speaker to get. I do some gaming but I really do not listen all the way up so this speaker was perfect for me. However if you want loud bass and have the room for it get the logitech Z2300 but some people did complain about the midrange so ultimately its your choice.

The form factor of this sound bar is great - fantastic design. It nests perfectly under my Samsung 245BW LCD. The volume/mute knob is large. The lines are sleek.

I use a laptop and docking station, and this sound bar is the perfect solution for great sound.

The reviews that said this sound bar will "fill the whole room" are exaggerated in my opinion. For the price, this is great sound, and plenty loud. But it certainly won't "fill the room". I also use it for movies in the bedroom, and the monitor and sound bar sit 12 feet away and it is loud enough. But don't mistake this soundbar for a high end, high power unit you would use for home theater - it can't produce really clear loud sound like those units.

In short - it is great quality for the price and I am very happy with the purchase.

I bought this sound bar, not because I needed a speaker for my flatscreen monitor (i'm a gamer and can't afford the flatscreen monitor that is superior to my crt's). I got it so I can play my iRiver 8gb iRiver clix2 without headphones! This thing hasn't disappointed me one bit. The sound is deep and resonant. The highs are crisp and clear. The volume gets very loud and its very portable! I can use my clix2 when I'm building a deck or playing frisbee with my dog. I connect it to my laptop, which is where i have all my mp3's and my main computer is free for interstellar piracy while I play Eve online. An inexpensive, terrific sounding solution to all MP3 player owners who need great sound, affordability, and portability.

These speaker work great for what I need them for. Being a student in a college dorm room they are perfect for me. They project more than enough sound. The bass is a little weaker than I am used to, but I spoil myself with subwoofers. The few wires needed is a great big plus. I would not buy this to replace a good 2.1 setup, but it is a great setup if you need speakers. A soundbar just cannot replace tru surround sound. In short, great product, but no better than surround sound unless you only want two wires(one for power and one for sound).

Pros
Fits perfectly under monitor.
Only two cords - power and PC connect.
Easily hook up my iPod to side.
Nice button on front for on/off and volume control.
Button has a cool blue light above it.
Price is fair.

Cons
Not the best sound - all the speakers are close together in this one unit so that is to be expected.

Over all - I would purchase again.

Good sound for relatively inexpensive computer speakers. Certainly wouldn't recommend it for "serious" listening ( but that's what my Dahlquist DQ-10's and Bose Acoustimass 15 speakers are for ). The soundbar is really good on the high and mid-range. If you're looking for strong bass, these speakers aren't for you.
I'm using it with an HP W2207 monitor. If you place the soundbar where the instructions suggest ( under the base ), the monitor was unstable. But, if the monitor is at its highest level, you can slip the soundbar under the monitor behind the base. It then looks like it's part of the monitor. The combo on/off/volume/mute control and the headphone and aux jacks are still easy to access in this position. The only thing I don't like about the soundbar is that the power adapter is rather wide. If you plug it into a power strip or ups, it's apt to block off adjoining plugs.
Since it probably is important in evaluating my review, I was totally happy for a number of years with the built-in speakers in a Philips Brilliance 180P2 monitor. I only found it necessary to get external speakers when I got the HP monitor - its built-in speakers are really tinny. I am using the soundbar on a desktop pc. My main source of digital entertainment is a home theater pc.